U.S. patent number 4,854,474 [Application Number 07/247,686] was granted by the patent office on 1989-08-08 for composite drinking cup.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Container Corporation of America. Invention is credited to Lowell C. Murray, Frederick Wyss.
United States Patent |
4,854,474 |
Murray , et al. |
August 8, 1989 |
Composite drinking cup
Abstract
A collapsible, self-standing, liquid-tight, partially
transparent, disposable, drinking cup that has a tubular outer
structure, formed of foldably interconnected paperboard panels, and
a plastic film liner secured to the inner surfaces of certain of
the panels to provide a flexible bottom wall for closing the lower
end of the tubular outer structure.
Inventors: |
Murray; Lowell C. (Fort Wayne,
IN), Wyss; Frederick (Fort Wayne, IN) |
Assignee: |
Container Corporation of
America (Clayton, MO)
|
Family
ID: |
22935918 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/247,686 |
Filed: |
September 22, 1988 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/1.5; D7/533;
229/117.27; 229/402; 229/162.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F
3/20 (20130101); B65D 5/4204 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45F
3/20 (20060101); A45F 3/00 (20060101); B65D
5/42 (20060101); B65D 025/16 (); B65D 005/46 () |
Field of
Search: |
;229/1.5B,162,485A,48T,52B,23R ;220/461,462 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Elkins; Gary
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Carpenter; Richard W.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A collapsible, self-standing, liquid tight, partially
transparent, disposable, drinking cup formed from a composite blank
of plastic film and paperboard, comprising:
(a) pair of paperboard front and rear side wall members
interconnected to form a tubular structure open at its upper and
lower ends;
(b) a plastic film liner adhesively secured to inner surfaces of
and extending between said side wall members to form a bottom wall
member for closing the lower end of said structure;
(c) said side wall members having central portions spaced from each
other and having side portions joined to each other to form with
said bottom wall member a liquid receiving cavity;
(d) each of said side wall members including:
(i) a pair of major panels having inboard side edges foldably
joined to each other and having outboard side edges;
(ii) minor panels foldably joined to the outboard side edges of
said major panels;
(e) the minor panels of said rear side wall member being reverse
folded to lie against rear surfaces of adjacent major panels of
said rear side wall member;
(f) the minor panels of said front side wall member being folded
around and adhesively secured to the respective minor and major
panels of said rear side wall member;
(g) portions of said plastic film liner being adhesively secured to
each other and being sandwiched between minor panels of respective
side wall members.
2. A composite cup according to claim 1, wherein said plastic film
liner is polyethylene terephthalate.
3. A composite cup according to claim 1, wherein portions of said
plastic film liner are secured to each other by a liquid-tight hot
melt adhesive.
4. A composite cup according to claim 1, wherein certain of said
side wall members have openings in their major panels to afford
visual access to the interior of the cup through said plastic film
liner.
5. A collapsible, self-standing, liquid tight, partially
transparent, disposable, drinking cup formed from a composite blank
of plastic film and paperboard, comprising:
(a) a pair of paperboard side wall members interconnected to form a
tubular structure open at its upper and lower ends;
(b) a plastic film liner adhesively secured to inner surfaces of
and extending between said side wall members to form a bottom wall
member for closing the lower end of said structure;
(c) said side wall members having central portions spaced from each
other and having side portions joined to each other to form with
said bottom wall member a liquid receiving cavity;
(d) each of said side wall members including:
(i) a pair of major panels having inboard side edges foldably
joined to each other and having outboard side edges:
(ii) minor panels foldably joined to the outboard side edges of
said major panels;
(e) the minor panels of one of said side wall members being
disposed in face-to-face relationship with and attached to
corresponding minor panels of the other side wall member to form
first and second panel sets at opposite sides of said tubular
structure, with portions of said plastic film liner being
sandwiched therebetween and being secured to each other.
6. A composite cup according to claim 5, wherein said plastic film
liner is polyethylene terephthalate.
7. A composite cup according to claim 5, wherein portions of said
plastic film liner are secured to each other by a liquid-tight hot
melt adhesive.
8. A composite cup according to claim 5, wherein certain of said
side wall members have openings in their major panels to afford
visual access to the interior of the cup through said plastic film
liner.
9. A composite cup according to claim 5, wherein at least one of
said panel sets is folded against and secured to a major panel of
one of said side wall members.
10. A composite cup according to claim 5, wherein both of said
panel sets are folded against and secured to respective major
panels of one of said side wall members.
11. A composite cup according to claim 5, wherein one of said panel
sets is folded against and secured to a major panel of one of said
side wall members and the other of said panel sets is disposed to
extend laterally outward from said tubular structure and function
as a handle for said composite cup.
12. A composite cup according to claim 5, wherein both of said
panel sets are disposed to extend laterally outward from said
tubular structure and function as handles for said composite
cup.
13. A composite blank of plastic film and foldable paperboard for
use in forming a collapsible, self-standing, liquid tight,
partially transparent, disposable, drinking cup, said blank being
cut and scored to provide:
(a) a pair of generally similar, paperboard, side wall members each
including:
(i) a pair of major panels having inboard side edges foldably
joined to each other and having outboard side edges;
(ii) minor panel sections foldably joined to outboard side edges of
said major panels;
(b) said side wall members being detachably joined to each other
along a transverse weakened line of tear, in offset end-to-end
relation, with the major and minor panels of each side wall member
aligned with the major and minor panels of the other side wall
member:
(c) a sheet of plastic film overlying portions of said side wall
members and being adhesively secured to certain panels of said side
wall members.
14. A composite blank according to claim 13, wherein said plastic
film liner is polyethylene terephthalate.
15. A composite blank according to claim 13, wherein certain of
said side wall members have openings in their major panels to
afford visual access to the interior of the cup through said
plastic film liner when said blank is erected into a cup.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to drinking cups and more particularly to a
collapsible, self-standing, disposable drinking cup formed from a
composite blank of plastic film and paperboard.
2. Description of the Background Art
A background art search directed to the subject matter of this
application and conducted in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
disclosed the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,003,678, 3,373,917,
3,684,157, 4,284,205, 4,391,366, 4,428,500.
None of the patents uncovered in the search discloses a
collapsible, self-standing, liquid tight, partially transparent,
disposable, drinking cup with an tubular outer structure formed of
foldably interconnected paperboard panels and a plastic film liner
secured to the inner surfaces of certain of the panels to provide a
flexible bottom wall for closing the lower end of the tubular outer
structure and making the cup liquid-tight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively
inexpensive, collapsable, self-standing, partially transparent,
disposable drinking cup, formed from a composite blank of plastic
film and paperboard, that will hold liquid for a limited period of
time.
A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a
drinking cup, of the type described, that comprises a paperboard,
tubular outer structure of foldably interconnected panels and a
plastic film liner secured to the inner surfaces of certain of the
panels to provide a flexible bottom wall for closing the lower end
of the tubular outer structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank of paperboard whic his used to
make the outer tubular structure of the composite cup illustrated
in the other views;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a composite cup embodying features
of the invention, as shown in the erected position;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG.
2;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in
FIG. 2;
FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are plan views of a composite blank of plastic
film and paperboard used to make the cup illustrated in FIGS. 2-4,
and illustrate various steps in the folding sequence whereby the
cup is formed from the blank;
FIGS. 8-14 are views similar to those of FIGS. 1-7, but illustrate
a modified form of the invention; and
FIG. 15 is a view similar to that of FIG. 9, but illustrates yet
another modified form of the invention.
It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain
elements may have been intentionally omitted from certain views,
where they are believed to be illustrated to better advantage in
other views.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of the
invention, it will be seen that the composite cup, indicated
generally at C in FIGS. 2-4, may be formed from a composite blank
CB of plastic film and paperboard illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 of the
drawings. The composite blank CB includes a paperboard blank,
indicated generally at PB in FIG. 1, to which has been attached a
liner L of a heat resistant plastic film which is preferably a
polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
As best seen in FIG. 1, the paperboard blank PB, from which the
tubular outer structure of the cup is formed, includes a pair of
first and second side wall members 10 and 12, respectively, which
are detachably joined to each other along a transversely extending
weakened line of tear 13. The line of tear 13 includes a central
portion 13a, which is really a cut extending completely through the
paperboard, and a pair of end portions 13b, which are cut scores or
nicks that allow the two sections of the paperboard blank to be
separated from each other easily when the cup is erected.
First side wall member 10 includes a pair of generally rectangular
major panels 20 which are foldably joined at their inboard side
edges to each other along a central fold line 21. Side wall member
10 also includes a pair of minor panels 22 which are foldably
joined along fold lines 23 to the outboard edges of the respective
major panels 20.
In a similar manner second side wall member 12 includes a pair of
major panels 30, which are foldably joined at their inboard side
edges to each other along a fold line 31, and a pair of minor 32
which are foldably joined along fold lines 33 to the outboard edges
of the respective major panels 30. It will be seen that second side
wall member minor panels 32 are substantially wider than related
first side wall member minor panels 22. The purpose of this will be
apparent later in the specification.
Still referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that there is provided
an opening 35 which extends through portions of both of the major
panels 30 of second side wall member 12 and which permits viewing
of the contents of the cup through the transparent liner when the
cup is erected and filled.
Turning now to FIG. 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that the
plastic film liner L is adhesively attached to the inner surface of
the paperboard blank PB to form the composite blank indicated
generally at CB.
Liner L may be applied to the inner surface of the paperboard blank
PB by a conventional film glue applied in the pattern areas
indicated at 40. It will be noted that the glue pattern 40 is
applied to the major panels of both side wall members, but to only
to the minor panels 32 of the second side wall member 12. There is
no physical attachment between the liner and the minor panels 22 of
first side wall member 10. This is to allow portions of the liner
to shift slightly when the composite blank CB is folded and glued
to form the cup C.
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but illustrates the application
of a pattern 42 of a hot melt adhesive to the inside surface of the
liner L over the second side wall member minor panels 32 and also
over adjacent portions of the first side wall member minor panels
22.
After the hot melt adhesive has been applied to the inner surface
of the liner, the first side wall member 10 is folded 180 degrees
to overlie the major portion of the second side wall member 12, as
illustrated in FIG. 7.
At this point a third type of adhesive, a conventional folding
carton glue, is applied in the pattern indicated at 44 to the
surfaces of the second side wall member minor panels 32 at
locations outboardly of the liner L.
Then the minor panels of both side wall members are folded 180
degrees and secured to the respective major panels of the first
side wall member to form the composite cup C illustrated in FIGS.
2-4.
The cup is collapsible, but it is self-standing when in the erected
condition. Because of the liner, the composite cup is liquid-tight
and capable of holding hot or cold liquid for limited periods of
time. The cup is intended to be a disposable cup and is not
intended for reuse.
Referring now to FIGS. 8-14 of the drawings, it will be seen that a
slightly modified form of the invention is shown. In this
embodiment, portions of the structure corresponding to portions of
the structure shown in previous views have been indicated by
related numerals.
In this embodiment the two minor panels 122a and 132a are joined to
each other by a fold line 113b which is part of weakened line 113
between side wall members 110 and 112. These two panels are
adhesively secured to each other, but they are not secured to the
major panel of either side wall member, as in the case of the
previous embodiment. Instead, they extend laterally outward from
the body of the cup to provide a handle for the cup.
Referring now to FIG. 15 of the drawings, it will be seen that yet
another form of the invention is shown. Again, in this embodiment,
portions of the structure which correspond to portions of the
structures shown in the previously described embodiments have been
designated by related numerals.
The cup of FIG. 15 is somewhat similar to that of the previously
described embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, except that a pair of
handles 224 are provided. In the embodiment of FIG. 15 neither set
of attached minor panels are folded around and secured to the major
panels, but instead each set projects laterally outward to provide
two handles for the cup.
Thus, each embodiment of the invention provides a unique and yet
inexpensive composite, collapsible, self-standing, disposable,
drinking cup that is sufficiently liquid-tight to hold either hot
or cold liquid for a limited period.
* * * * *